Nespresso unleashes Apple, Choc-Mint and Hazelnut Variations for the Christmas season

Are you ready to rumble with Apple Crumble? Do you like a hint of Chocolate Mint? Your rights do you assert to Hazelnut Dessert?

Nespresso has released its three limited edition ‘Variations’ for the Christmas 2014 holiday and entertainment season: Hazelnut Dessert, Chocolate Mint and Apple Crumble. These news flavours were voted on by Nespresso’s Facebook community and involve the infusing of an olfactory sensation into the popular Levanto Grand Cru.

The three winning Variations from this poll are now available to purchase for $8.40 per 10-capsule file.

A highly seasonal release and perhaps more ideal for the wintry Northern Hemisphere, the Variations have proven very popular with Nespresso Club Members in the past. The release accompanying these flavours included magnificent descriptions like ‘sweet caramel notes’, ‘exquisite marriage’ and ‘balanced harmony’. We decided to test this acclaim for ourselves, to see whether Hazelnut Dessert, for example, truly is redolent of “homemade shortbread cookies”.

Nespresso’s new Apple Crumble Variation.

Patrick says:

Although it is described as having ‘baked apple flavours’, I found this Variation to be more reminiscent of caramel chews, and it took me back to long hot days growing up in the Blue Mountains: summer with no end in sight. Importantly, the aroma was not overwhelming, which has been my primary criticism of past Variations. As for the taste, there wasn’t a huge amount of difference from the original Nespresso flavour, for which I am a dedicated fan.

Hazelnut Dessert being prepared on a Nespresso Pixie.

Laconic Colleague Zarn says:

I like to have my Nespresso with some pre-microwaved milk — I love convenience afforded by the capsule system. I used two Hazelnut pods in this preparation and didn’t really notice the Hazelnut aroma during the preparation, which included the lovely stepped layers captured above. The taste was a little bitter so I added some sugar and that balanced it perfectly.

Chocolate Mint: a classic combination.

Verbose Colleague Damon says:

I made the long journey into the fabled upstairs kitchen full of an optimism and nervous energy that was quite unfamiliar to me. The scene was set for a glorious morning of drinking coffee, laughing and reminiscing on old times with my new chums. When [editor and respected senior colleague] Patrick revealed that I would only be trying the Chocolate Mint flavour, I will admit that I was a little bit disappointed — I wanted to try them all — but I continued on with grace and class. Now I don’t claim to be much of a coffee connoisseur, but I was thoroughly captivated by this journey into the caffeinated viscera. From the first whiff of minty freshness to final slurp, it was like I had been transported to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factor — there’s Augustus Gloop, there’s Violet Beauregard, there’s Veruca Salt — just thinking about it takes me back. [At this point, Damon slipped into a fugue-like state of sheer euphoria as he remembered this experience. It required a ristretto to restore him to full operational perspicacity].